It is worth pointing out that an audience watching a film in their native language, made by people of the same culture in the same time period can still lead to different interpretations so adding the complexity of another language only makes it more complicated.

In terms of distributing films for audiences that do not speak the language the film is made in, there have been two options – dubbing or subtitles. Dubbing is the process of having actors who do speak the language of the audience redo the dialogue, for a long time dubbing was a source of much derision due to the unnatural feeling it gave movies and poor acting but in recent years it has become far more accomplished. Subtitling was long seen as the more authentic experience but still had its limitations. Any film, whether it be Citizen Kane or The Fast & The Furious, has a complexity to language that can be lost when translated. Even just thinking about some of the pithy one-liners from films – Dr. Strangelove – “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!” Silence of the Lambs – “I’m having an old friend for dinner” or even “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya punk?” from Dirty Harry. How easily the meaning could be lost if any of these were translated into Mandarin or Portuguese or Arabic? Translating is not just about specific words, there is meaning in context.

Then there are the problems of expressions and turns of phrase, for example, by the skin of one’s teeth, is not an expression that makes any sense when taken to another culture. The Chinese expression “Draw snake, add feet” meaning to overdo something does not make any sense. You could probably find examples of other expressions that would work in other languages, or just have the subtitles not use the expression and just say it…but then is something being lost?

It is well known that comedy doesn’t travel well, with it often not working when it leaves the place it was created. Often stereotypes about countries not having a sense of humour are that they simply have a different sense of humour. If we look at one of the great comedies of all time, Shaun of the Dead, and even just focus on the scene of throwing records at zombies. There are a number of different jokes going on – the silliness of fighting zombies with records, Shaun’s preciousness of his collection even in a life and death situation, the various jokes about different albums – such as Shaun insisting he likes The Stone Roses’ album Second Coming. How would this be translated for other audiences?

Famously when German television asked to broadcast Monty Python’s Flying Circus in Germany the Pythons decided instead of letting them dub it or subtitle it they would make specials in German, feeling that would convey the humour more. Admittedly, none of the Pythons spoke German so they learned it phonetically. But even if they didn’t learn the language they did make changes for the culture, settings change, clothes are different, it is trying to connect with the German audience.

Looking at some of the most successful non-English language films in the UK and America we have films like Parasite, Amelie, Pan’s Labrinyth. The first of those is a complex story of class and cultural tensions in South Korea, the second a film saturated in French cinematic style and taste, and the final a fantasy coming-of-age story amidst the aftermath of a fascist victory in the Spanish Civil War. There is a lot of room for misunderstanding and keeping the meaning and style of the original is an art form in itself.

Also Read: Parasite and Foreign Language Films in the UK

The post The Language of Subtitles: How Translation Shapes Our Understanding of Foreign Films appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Today we are looking at Apple’s Vision Pro. We will look at its positive and negative points and see if it represents the future of home media viewing.

What is it?

Apple Vision Pro is described as a VR/AR headset. It works by feeding video of the world through cameras on the front of the headset to internal displays. In this feed of the real world, users can then interact with applications in a way that makes them appear to have a presence in physical space. Essentially, allowing applications to be mapped into the real world.

Changing Home Viewing? 

So what possibilities does Apple Vision Pro have for watching media at home? Well, the introduction video outlines how users can create huge display windows, or use virtual reality cinema rooms to watch media in whatever space is available. And with technology that allows for more detailed picture quality, and impactful sound that allows users to have a more cinematic home experience. Its portability also helps to make cinematic experiences more accessible for people who cannot get to the cinema. 

Additionally, the device has voice control and eye sensors. Which can allow some disabled users quicker access to media.

With the availability of features that enable a more immersive experience, for example, inbuilt compatibility with 3D films with already added depth that makes the experience more noticeable and the capability to experience 360-degree photography and VR, Vision Pro can help to foreground immersive experiences more in the minds of viewers and filmmakers.

Or A Gimmick?

However several flaws will hinder the Vision Pro from becoming the go-to for home media viewing. The obvious first point is that the $3499 price needed to access it is absurd. Especially as it only enables one person to experience it. This won’t be a problem for people living on their own, but for people who want to watch something as a group, Vision Pro offers nothing. Unless you watch through online devices together. Which is a lot to go through to watch something together in the same room.

Additionally, there are accessibility faults as well. For example, if you need glasses Vision Pro is only really vision-friendly if you buy prescription lenses separately. Which again racks up the price point for users. There is also the problem that wearing something mildly heavy on your head for long periods will cause discomfort. If you are sat up the Vision will weigh down on your neck. If you are reclined the pressure of the strap and headset can still be uncomfortable, which is not fun if you like to watch films for long stretches. To say nothing of the discomfort that can come from staring closely at a screen for an extended period.

The Vision Pro also has a relatively short battery life (around 2.5 hours). This means that it doesn’t cater to binge watchers unless it’s plugged into mains power. Additionally, users’ comfort can be impacted by cables restricting movement or by not having a plug socket within 1.5 metres of a comfortable space.

Also, there is no way to connect external sources on your headset through a HDMI cable. Meaning, if something is unavailable to stream then you might be unable to access it on Apple Vision Pro. Thereby artificially limiting what Vision Pro users can use the device to watch.

Conclusion

Overall, the Vision Pro has great potential to bring cinematic and immersive experiences to home users. Its accessibility features for disabled users make it a valuable media-accessible resource. However, it still has some accessibility blind spots. It also runs into many inherent issues that make it unsuitable for communal media-hungry consumers, with its current pricing also a huge entry barrier. It looks like it’s still going to be a while before reality headsets take over home entertainment.

Also Read: The Technology Inspired By Star Trek

The post Can Apple Vision Pro Change How We Watch Movies? appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The Wizard of Oz

Toto is film’s most famous dog for a reason. His relationship with Dorothy is central to The Wizard of Oz’s narrative. It’s because of Toto getting in trouble that Dorothy runs away from home ultimately leading to her trip to Oz. Throughout the film, Toto acts as Dorothy’s tether to the real world and he embodies the story’s themes of courage, love, and brains through his actions and symbolises home for Dorothy. Toto is still the high watermark of cinematic canine characters because of how much personality he has and how he brings out the best in his human partner.

Umberto D.

Here comes the list’s first tear-jerker. This classic neo-realist film follows Umberto Domenico Ferrari, an older man who is having trouble paying his rent on a meagre pension. Umberto’s one constant companion is his dog Flike who both love each other unconditionally. Umberto does everything to find Flike when he goes missing and Flike provides meaning to Umberto when he becomes homeless. Umberto D. is a beautiful plea to hold onto what is precious to you and to know that love can always be found somewhere.

The Plague Dogs

Watership Down’s spiritual successor focuses on Rowf and Snitter, two dogs who escape from an animal testing facility. With them having nowhere to go and humanity beginning to hunt them down for fear they are carrying the plague they soon find themselves reverting back to their wild state of being. Plague Dogs is a hard watch but its exploration of humanity’s cruelty to animals through the perspective of its supposed best friend makes the message extra poignant.

Scooby-Doo

A beloved nostalgic treat for many, Scooby-Doo translates the Mystery Inc. crew into live-action form with hilarious results. The crowning achievement is Scooby’s on-screen realisation, who, poorly aged CG aside, manages to have a real presence thanks to some good direction, Neil Fanning’s great voice work and committed performances from the main cast particularly Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. This definitely shows the funner side of our dog friends.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

Another tear-jerker. Hachi is based on the real-life story of Hachiko, an Akita who would wait at the train station every day for his master to return from work (If you don’t know anything more about the story then please watch the film before reading anything else). This emotional story really shows how loyal dogs can be to their owners and drives home the importance of memories. Be sure to bring the tissues.

Stray

This unique documentary follows stray dog Zeytin as she and her companions journey around Istanbul where it is illegal to euthanise stray dogs. Stray is an interesting commentary on the nature of dogs free from human constraints. But it also yet again provides a great amount of commentary on humanity. As we see Zeytin is treated with much more compassion than many humans living on the streets. A definite call for us to show as much kindness to our fellow people as our animals.

So ends our recommendation round of good dog movies. We hope you enjoy these suggestions. Don’t worry cat lovers, your time will come.

Also Read: When Animals Attack: Movies With An Animal Antagonist

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post Man’s Best Friend: Dogs On Film appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Liselotte Vanophem (Big Picture Film Club): Congrats on the film!

Charlotte Regan (writer/director Scrapper): Thank you so much.

LV: It was just announced that the film is going to Edinburgh, to the Edinburgh Film Festival. How does it feel?

CR: It’s very cool! It’s very exciting. I love Edinburgh, so it would be nice to be a part of it, for sure.

LV: How did it feel when the Sundance Film Festival London said, “we want your film as the opening film”. Opening a festival must feel even more special than ‘only’ being selected.

CR: Being part of the Sundance Film Festival London and the Sundance community feels super cool. I try not to think about it too much, though. But it’s very cool. I feel very lucky, for sure.

LV: The casting of this movie is amazing, especially the children who are making their film debut. How did you find them?

CR: Oh, our casting director, Shaheen Baig, is incredible. She was a massive part of the search. And it was just a really long search. It took like two years because we were meant to shoot the year before, but because of COVID19, we had to push it back. We went to a lot of schools, and we’re being sent hundreds of tapes of young people. But from the moment we got Lola her tape, we knew that she was like magic. And then Alin came to an audition, and he’s the most charismatic 12-year-old you’ll ever meet in your life. So straight away, we knew we had two great kids on our hands.

LV: When and how did Harris Dickinson join the cast? The relationship between his character Jason and Lola’s Georgie is incredible.

CR: I’ve worked with Harris before when we worked on a short film a few years ago. I know him from that. I also love all the work that he’s done. All his films are incredible. He’s an amazing guy. He was cast the traditional way. We cast the young people first, or we intended to. Maybe we didn’t properly lock them in, but we looked for the kids first before looking for a Jason, just because I felt like the kids needed to come first and then Jason. Harris read for it and was just amazing, you know. He was also very selfless and knew how to support the kids whilst always giving a great performance.

LV: Where did the story for this film come from? Was it something that happened to you personally, something you have seen, etc.?

CR: I think a mix of everything for sure. There are people that I recognize within the film. People from the joyful working-class community that I grew up in. But beyond that, it’s not something that happened to me personally. The story evolved over time.

 LV: This is the first movie you wrote and directed by yourself instead of having co-directors/co-writers. How was that process?

CR: It was a lot of sitting on your own, writing, which I’m not a big fan of. I like to be with people to talk about things. I worked with my producer Theo on this, who is one of my best friends in the world, and we’ve worked together for a long time. There was that ‘family’ vibe. My production designer Elena was one of my best friends in school, and we’ve known each other since we were 12. My DP Molly is one of my best friends. It felt very much like a family-orientated shoot. They came on board very early and were always willing to talk creatively, which helped. Theo in particular, has sat with me for days and days, writing the script with me and saying the dialogue out loud. He was my partner through the whole process, for sure.

LV: There are a lot of emotional moments in this film. What was the most emotional one for you?

CR: I don’t know, really. I don’t feel that emotional on set, weirdly. I don’t know why. I probably try not to. However, when I watch it back, I love the bit where they are dancing together, and they finally connect just because she’s been so reluctant to let him in. So I love that moment. However, on the day of filming, I didn’t feel very emotional about it. I was probably blurring it out on purpose. I was probably tired and drinking too much coffee.

LV: And what do you hope that the audience will take away from this film?

CR: I hope it makes people laugh and smile. I suppose that is what I love about watching cinema. Movies are experiences that make you leave feeling lighter than when you went in. Something that makes you laugh or brings you a bit of joy. And then I hope that it captures how much joy and humour there is in working-class environments because I feel like it’s not something we get to see loads on screen.

LV: Is that experience also why you went into filmmaking?

CR: I don’t know. I think I got lucky with the film so I think it’s more luck. I don’t know if I would be good at anything else.

LV: Do you already have other projects you’re working on

CR: Yes, I’m writing films at the minute and just filmed an Apple show called The Buccaneers. It’s a period drama. One of the films I’m writing is a psychological horror about a gangster. It’s a totally different genre than this one.

LV: Scraper has a release at the end of August in the UK (25^th of August, to be exact). Are there any plans for releasing it in other countries?

CR: I think it releases on the same day in the U.S. I think I’ll be working on another shoot then, so might not be able to make it to promote it there.

LV: Well, good luck with Scrapper and your other projects!

CR: Thanks a lot!

Scrapper is screened on the 7th of July during the Sundance Film Festival London and has a nationwide release on the 25th of August.

Also Read: Review: Scrapper

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post Inside the Heart of ‘Scrapper’: An Interview with Groundbreaking Director Charlotte Regan appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The Statistics

In 1998 almost sixty million Americans watched the Oscars, the highest ever ratings for the awards show, but in 2022 it was down to sixteen million, and the trend is heading downwards. The Emmys, America’s biggest television awards ceremony, had a viewership of around six million in 2022, almost half the 2016 viewership. The BAFTAs actually seem to be bucking this trend with a recent increase in viewers (around 3 million for the latest ceremony). The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards were this year broadcast on Netflix’s YouTube channel, after years of declining viewing figures, with less than a million watching in 2021.

Why?

There are many potential reasons for these declining ratings, relating both to changes in the film industry and television viewing habits. First of all, the Oscars were once event television – like the FA Cup (or Superbowl), something that people enjoyed watching en masse at the same time and event television is seemingly a thing of the past. People have too many ways to watch television, no longer restricted to a small number of channels. I do what I think many people do – the next day look up the winners and watch clips online, which does nothing for ratings.

Award shows were once a great opportunity to see actors being – more or less – themselves, not playing characters, but that is hardly the case now. Most actors have a strong social media presence, and an actor who doesn’t is flagged as somewhat unusual. In a similar way some people argue there are no movie stars anymore, not like there used to be, where the involvement of an actor would almost guarantee success, nearly universally liked and admired. Tom Cruise may be an actor who somewhat fits the bill but is hardly universally admired.

Perhaps increasingly there is also a feeling that making such a fuss about these awards shows is a little silly. By all means have awards for those in filmmaking but is the world really supposed to stop to watch them get their awards? Then there are questions about how “valid” these award ceremonies are – the Oscars are seen as the biggest film awards in the world, and it is in way assumed that the Best Picture Oscar winner is the best film of that year…but is it? The Academy has its own biases and many films are called Oscar-Bait, films that are seemingly made to tick boxes for what the Academy likes and this before dealing with issues like the OscarsSoWhite hashtag from 2015. Is the Oscars a genuine reflection of achievement in filmmaking or a select group within an industry patting themselves on the back?

What is perhaps the single biggest issue is that cinema – like most forms of art and culture – is very splintered. There are very few films that catch the attention of the majority of people; for example Best Picture Nominee Avatar: The Way Of Water was the biggest-grossing film of 2022, but the film that seemed to have the most cultural impact was Glass Onion, now even if this merely reflects different social media bubbles it still demonstrates that there isn’t a single cultural landscape for the Oscars to comment on. Also, Oscars, don’t nominate Avatar: The Way of Water for Best Picture, especially when Nope didn’t get a Best Picture nomination, or in fact, ANY Oscar nominations.

A few years ago the number of Best Picture nominations was increased to potentially ten, which was good, and it seemed in response to great films that didn’t fit the Oscar stereotype of a great film being nominated. The Shape Of Water – a film about a love story between a human woman and a fish “monster” won Best Picture, Parasite became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture which shows an acceptance of a greater variety of movies but shows that it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine what is the “Best Picture” of the year. Of course, this was probably always impossible but it’s increasingly being shown up as a farce.

Ultimately the decline in audience for these events is likely to do with factors completely outside the control of the organisations behind them with the changing nature of media consumption and appreciation being the real cause.

Also Read: Parasite Director Bong Joon-Ho Once Described The Oscars As “Very Local” Does He Have A Point?

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post Looking Who’s Watching: The Declining Audience of Film Awards Ceremonies appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Hollywood. Technically just another district in the city of Los Angeles, with barely 150 thousand people. It covers roughly 30 miles in a city of more than 500 square, but the myth and reach of Hollywood stretches a lot farther. Although people have settled there since 1853, what we call “Hollywood” didn’t spring up until 1902– And the first film wasn’t made there until 1908: The Count of Monte Cristo. Ever since “Hollywood” has become the chronicler of North American culture – and with that comes great power. You know the line: with great power comes great responsibility. Intended or not, Hollywood holds the reins of history and decides who will be revered, who will be remembered, who will inspire fear… and who will be left out entirely.

Just the facts, Ma’am

Around the time that Hollywood was making its first pictures, the United States was taking its thirteenth census, and surprise: The U.S. was nearly 89% White. That had a huge impact on the way Hollywood would develop over the next one hundred and thirteen years. The country was about 11% Black, 0.9% Hispanic, 0.3% Indigenous, and 0.2% Asian. Fast forward to 2021: The country is around 59% White, 18.5% Hispanic, 13.4% Black, 5.9% Asian, 1.5% Indigenous, and about 2.8% Mixed Race. Very different numbers. Yet, the films and shows coming out of Hollywood haven’t changed with the pace.

In 2011, American diversity in film was tracked for the first time. Most films fell into the lowest diversity bracket– less than 11%. In 2020, however, nearly 29% of all American films had a cast diversity level of 50% or more—- Quite an improvement. But all in all, that still means that 71% of American films were hardly diverse at all. And if you consider that for many Hollywood films “diversity” means the minority characters are glorified extras or so whitewashed themselves you’d be hard-pressed to even notice their minority status, even that 29% starts to look suspect.

The one with the all-White cast

Only in the most recent of the last eleven consecutive decades has diversity been a real goal in “Tinsel Town”; before then you’d get the occasional multi-cultural hit, such as ‘Rush Hour’ (Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker), ‘Lethal Weapon’ (Mel Gibson, Danny Glover), and ‘Men in Black’ (Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones), but more likely you’d get movies like ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Dirty Dancing’, and tv shows like ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Friends’. I could easily list one hundred movies and Tv shows that somehow make the United States appear magically one race. Shows like ‘How I Met Your Mother’ depict New York City—- one of the most diverse cities in the world—- as completely one-note. As someone who spent over a decade living in Manhattan, I can tell you many tourists are genuinely surprised when they realize that nearly 6 of the 8 million people in NYC aren’t White. Lee Atwater coined the famous phrase, “Perception is reality”. Which means with representation in the U.S.A. being what it is, American minorities are marginal… or don’t exist.

Show me the money

Every studio swears they are committed to providing diverse film casts, but something tells me their newfound commitment isn’t completely altruistic: Movies that were made up of 41% to 50% minorities had the highest median global box office receipts; Films with less than 11% minorities performed the worst. In recent years projects such as Black Panther (Grossed $1.3 BILLION, Budget $200m) and Crazy Rich Asians (Grossed $238m, Budget $30m) have been turning the heads of Studio executives, and a tidal wave of diversity may be coming. A clear sign of change lies in the fact that people of Color made up 39.7% of film leads in 2020 – a substantial leap from just 10.5% in 2011. However, there’s still a lot of room for growth behind the camera: Across 886 directors from the top 800 grossing films from 2007 to 2015 (excluding 2011), only 5.5% were Black and 2.8% were Asian. 

Houston, we have a problem

Aside from diversity issues in general, lies the problem of the true re-writing of history: Whitewashing. From the nearly all-White cast of ‘Gods of Egypt’ to Angelina Jolie playing an Afro-Chinese-Cuban-Jewish woman (‘A Mighty Heart’), some minority roles have been literally appropriated by White performers.

In The Human Stain, Anthony Hopkins plays an African American professor that has apparently been passing for White since college. Yes, the argument could be made that if he could pass for White, why not get a famous White actor to play him? Why indeed, aside from the fact that it’s not remotely believable that Hopkins comes from a Black family, and there are plenty of light-skinned Black actors that would have done justice to the role. Passing as White does not indeed make you White, and there was no part of Hopkins performance that conveyed any level of Blackness.

Even when it’s inspired by a true story, such as in Stuck, based on the story of a Black woman who hit a homeless man, but was cast as White in the film, or Ring of Fire, the story of Johnny Cash in which his Black Italian first wife was played by the same woman who portrayed Snow White on the tv series Once Upon A Time, minority characters are unapologetically replaced by White ones. Here’s a quick sample, but the examples are countless:

Tom Cruise, ‘Edge of Tomorrow’: The Japanese character Keiji Kiriya was changed to Major William “Bill” Cage.

Rooney Mara, ‘Pan’: The Indigenous American character “Tiger Lily” is played by White actress Rooney Mara.

Ben Affleck, ‘Argo’: Ben played the part of Tony Mendez, based on a real-life Hispanic CIA agent.

Bye, Felisha

Throughout this article, each section is prefaced with an old movie or tv quote, all of which has come from a traditionally “White” film; This last one I pulled from a Black movie just to make a point: Many of you won’t know it. This film (‘Friday’) had some of the best comedic actors of their time— Chris Tucker, Bernie Mac, & John Witherspoon to name a few— but until now “Black” movies & shows are considered for Black people only, while “White” films are thought to be for everyone; This way of thinking created one of the biggest cultural divides in our country. After nearly 530 years of sharing this country with each other, White America still hasn’t bridged the cultural divide. Everyone says that America is a melting pot but until now, it’s been more like oil and water. But if we continue this trend of diversity, easing the (sometimes unintentional, sometimes not) grip White Supremacy has had on Hollywood, if we open our eyes to each other, and welcome each other’s stories into our lives and our living rooms, I think that we would suddenly realize that what they say is true— There is only One Race: The Human Race.

Also Read: BLACK to the Future: The Rise of AfroFuturism

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post The History of Whitewashed Hollywood appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

There’s plenty of things out there to satisfy the film lover this Halloween, so today we’re going to recommend five gift ideas to put a smile on your face.

Horror Festival Passes & Themed Screenings

What better way is there to celebrate this scary of year, than by watching as many horror movies as you can with a dedicated community of fans?

October and early November is a big time for horror festivals as well as themed film screenings. There are of course big names like Frightfest that have their own Halloween events but there are also smaller festivals like Celluloid Screams among many others that offer fantastic lineups and experiences for their audiences.

And you may also be able to find special themed events near you that allow you to experience a horror film in a genuinely spooky atmosphere. Such as in Churches, adding an extra layer to the horror experience.

These experiences drastically vary in price depending on how long you want your experience to be. But you’ll doubtlessly have a good time immersing yourself in the best of horror film culture.

Horror Movie Collectors Editions

As I have said before, every film fan loves collectors’ editions. And when it comes to horror films there’s no end of companies that pride themselves on releasing fantastic deluxe editions of great horror films.

You can choose from the likes of Arrow Video, 88 Films, Second Sight Films, Powerhouse Films, Studiocanal, Blue Underground, Eureka Entertainment and many more.

All of these companies pack their releases with special features, fantastic transfers and loving attention to detail that will give fans a great amount of insight and appreciation for their favourite films. And for the quality of these releases, they are well worth their asking price.

Horror Movie Costumes

Everyone likes to dress up for Halloween. So, it stands to reason that any film fan needs a great costume. Just find out what costume you want and then its time to get creative.

Remember the devil is in the details so be sure to think about the costume, the trimmings, the character props and any makeup that may be needed.

Costuming will, of course, vary in price depending on the quality you want and the level of detail you want to put into your outfit. But whether you’re buying from a costume store or buying induvial parts from the high street, you’re sure to bring out a lot of smiles on the big day.

Horror Decorations

Another fun idea for movie lovers on All Hallows Eve is to decorate your house and get into the spirit of the season. And there are many creative ways to do this.

You can buy standees of famous horror movie characters to scare your guests. You can litter the place with props, replicas and fan-made decorations to give a spooky atmosphere. Or if you want to save some money you can make your own decorations?.

Why not make wanted posters to go in the window? Or carve a pumpkin in the likeness of a horror icon like Freddy, Jason or Pinhead?  The possibilities are endless.

Whatever you choose it will definitely help to bring your house to life this season.

Horror Merchandise

And of course, every true film buff loves their movie memorabilia. And horror films have a number of great types of merchandise, in any price range, to gift to yourself, family and friends.

Whether it’s a replica of your favourite fictional killer’s weapon. A poster of your favourite spook film. Or something as simple as a themed mug.

Every film fan appreciates having something eye-catching to furnish their home and remind them of their favourite films.

Conclusion

So there are a few ideas for how you can help add a little spice to a film lover’s Halloween. If you have any suggestions for cool things for film lovers to do this Halloween then tell us in the comments.

Also Read: A Christmas Buyer’s Guide for Film Lovers

The post A Halloween Buyer’s Guide for Film Lovers appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The Plot

For those who don’t know, I shall briefly explain the plot – Thomas Anderson lived in late 90s America, working as a computer programmer but is secretly the hacker “Neo”. He was approached by sinister government agents asked him to work as a spy. Neo refused and is quickly picked up by the people he was asked to spy against. Their leader Morpheus explained to Neo that what he thought was reality was actually only a computer programme, in reality, AI robots were draining his energy to survive. What follows is a spectacular two hours of gunfights, fistfights and metaphysical pondering on the nature of reality and destiny.

Great Expectations

There was a huge amount of hype surrounding the film especially with the talk of unprecedented special effects – what became known as “bullet time”. The famous “bullet time”. The Matrix was not the first film to use this technique but undoubtedly popularised it. Bullet time is a form of slow-motion photography that will often have the camera moving around the target. In The Matrix, this was used as characters dodged bullets using what would be super-human reflexes. While the technology has moved on a lot since the effects still look great to this day.

The film wasn’t stunning just because of bullet time. The hand to hand fight scenes, such as Neo and Morpheus fighting or the climactic fight between Agent Smith and Neo were amongst the first of the extremely choreographed fights that are the mainstay amongst recent action-films (with perhaps the most relevant example of this being in the John Wick films – starring Keanu Reeves).

The Internet, Computers & Technology

The Matrix capitalised on computers and the Internet in a way few films had before. Neo was a computer programmer by day and hacker by night and you got the feeling that not only Neo understood computers but so did the Wachowskis. The fact that Neo goes by that name, his hacker alias, seemed to reflect an understanding of the Internet, a place where you could be whatever you wanted to be.

Storytelling

In many ways, the storytelling aspects of The Matrix were rooted in old ideas. Robot tyranny, virtual reality, sinister but vague government agencies had all been done before. The idea of Neo being The Chosen One again is nothing new but perhaps they made it their own, in an episode of South Park there is a search for a chosen one they refer to as “The Keanu Reeves child”. By the Wachowskis’ own admission the film is heavily indebted to Japanese anime and Hong Kong action films. But I think the Wachowskis deserve huge plaudits for pulling all of these aspects into one film whilst at the same time combining an over-the-top action-sci-fi blockbuster with an intelligent hard sci-fi drama. Apparently, the Wachowskis had the main actors read relevant books on philosophy and science so they could comfortably explain the ideas thrown around in the film.

Culture

The cultural impact was huge. Like A New Hope or The Dark Knight, The Matrix launched a thousand copycats and its influence can be felt in many more. The Simpsons and Spaced both parodied it while The Onion could write about something being “Matrix-y” and people knew what you meant. Anyone who wore a long black leather coat was imitating Neo. The term “matrix” has been used a lot in sci-fi (in Doctor Who it’s the repository of Time Lord knowledge, it’s the name of a DC superhero and is the name of a 90s fantasy tv show) but if used today would only refer to the film. The choice of red pill or blue pill has become synonymous with choosing fantasy over – an often painful – reality and people can talk about odd events and coincidences as “glitches” in the Matrix, a moment where a person can see something is not right in reality. One such glitch is that the aforementioned Matrix tv show starred Carrie-Ann Moss, one of the stars of the film The Matrix. Weird.

The Matrix 4

The world recently learned that there will be a fourth film in The Matrix franchise. After the huge success of the first film, the two sequels were not well-received but there is already a lot of interest in this new film. Crucially Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss and Lana Wachowski are all part of the film. I think the years have been kind to The Matrix, with the sequels being forgotten about and the delight of the original still has a hold over people. I recently rewatched the film and despite knowing every twist, betrayal and cliffhanger still thoroughly enjoyed it, immersed in an interesting world that was glorious to watch.

Also Read: Horror-ibly Funny Movie Titles

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Brightburn is the story of an alien child who comes to Earth and is adopted by human parents but as he grows he develops incredible powers. Sound familiar? Well, it should as it’s basically the plot for Superman but the difference in new film Brightburn is that while Clark Kent grows up to be the ultimate hero things go a bit sideways with this child. Not surprisingly giving a teenage boy superpowers quickly leads to him abusing those powers and hurting people. Obviously, this is a far more realistic outcome than the saintly Superman and we must, therefore, consider Martha and Jonathan Kent the greatest parents of all time. If we ask ourselves what would we do if we woke up tomorrow with Superman’s powers I think most honest people would come back with an unpleasant answer – so the question must, therefore, be asked, do we actually want superheroes?

Super

Before James Gunn made the upbeat and joyous Guardians of the Galaxy he made Super – a film in which a character in a badly made costume beats people with a wrench and has the catchphrase “Shut up, crime!” This indie gem features a stellar cast from Rainn Wilson to Ellen Page including the amazing Nathan Fillion as a TV Christian superhero called the Holy Avenger who inspires Wilson’s character to become the Crimson Bolt. Not only does it deal with the problems when a vigilante goes after people committing very serious crimes, but also how the line can get a little blurred from serious crime to a misdemeanour to just being rude, and all of these people being hit very hard on the head with a wrench. The behaviour of Wilson’s character is so questionable that at times you find yourself agreeing with Kevin Bacon’s drug dealer villain, who often seems far more reasonable.

Chronicle

Brightburn focuses on a young teen while found-footage superhero film Chronicle is about teenagers a few years older. This time three teenagers fall into a mysterious cavern and develop incredible powers, at first the three teenagers bond over their powers and largely do no harm aside from minor mischief. But it is not long before the loner of the group starts getting carried away with his powers. This teenager, who had few friends and had a history of being bullied before he got his powers, is easily corrupted by his new capabilities and his chance to be a star and maybe get even with a few people. While Chronicle deals with superhuman abilities and over the top fight scenes the fact that only one of three teenagers became a power-crazed killing machine always struck me as the implausible bit. Certainly my memories of other teenagers – and being one myself – would suggest adding superpowers to an already irrational and emotional group would make a bad situation far worse.

The Incredibles

Do you know what you get when you use superpowers? Collateral damage. Man of Steel showed Metropolis being levelled by Superman and Zod battling it out but a much better film also addresses this issue – The Incredibles. The film is centred on Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl not only two superpowered crimefighters but also a married couple. The pair and all other superheroes are forced into retirement when the government decides that the collateral damage they do simply outweighs the good. Naturally enough, some of them have trouble adjusting to living a normal life and not using their powers. This is especially true of Mr. Incredible who is looking for any opportunity to escape his boring office job and go back to being a hero. A dark issue in the world of superheroes is explored in The Incredibles – why do they become heroes? Is it for justice and to save people or for attention and fame? Does Mr. Incredible just love being a hero? Ultimately I think the film comes down on that yes, he does miss the attention but deep down he wants to help people and finds it impossible to just sit back while people suffer.

Watchmen

When it comes to the downsides of superheroes the ultimate film is Watchmen. Based on what many consider the best graphic novel of all-time Watchmen is essentially the story of what happens to superheroes when they are forced to retire but is also about far more. It examines why someone would choose to risk their life to fight criminals, why some people would cheer them and others be disgusted? Are people with superpowers fundamentally different from “normal” people? Why does putting on a mask make beating people up okay?

If we look at the lineup of Watchmen we have a wide variety of superheroes:

Rorschach – a man who regularly brutally murder criminals and one of the few superheroes who did not retire, only believing in his personal code and not the law.

The Comedian – Superhero with no powers who fought crime for decades but also an attempted rapist and government assassin (it is suggested that it is the Comedian who killed JFK and, in this world, Woodward & Bernstein, the journalists who uncovered the Watergate scandal).

Nite-Owl II – restrained and relatively respectable when compared to some of the other Watchmen.

Silk Spectre II – helpful if inappropriately dressed for fighting crime who seemingly only became involved because of pressure from her mother, the original Silk Spectre.

Ozymandias – not only the smartest man in the world but a formidable fighter capable of catching bullets. He might sound like a nice guy but MAJOR SPOILER ALERT Ozymandias kills millions of people in order to save the world.

Dr Manhattan – one-time physicist Jon Osterman became Dr Manhattan, seemingly indestructible and unstoppable and is often said to be a god.

On close inspection, they don’t seem to be a good bunch of people, certainly not heroes. Ozymandias takes the superhero idea of breaking some rules for the greater good to its logical extent while Rorschach is simply appalling. The most interesting case is Dr Manhattan who serves as the film’s Superman, a man so powerful he is no longer human.

So looking through some of the darker superhero films we have a collection of violent, dangerous and sometimes insane individuals who all – at least at some point- thought themselves to be good people. Watchmen takes its title from the expression “What watches the watchmen?”, originally from ancient Roman poetry but applied throughout history to abuses of power by those who are meant to be guardians. Perhaps Lisa Simpson when confronting her own vigilante father put it best “if you’re the police, who will police the police?”

Also Read: Video Nasties: The History of Censored Films in the UK

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Also note – One of the scenes deals with suicide.

2001: A Space Odyssey famously has nearly fifty minutes with no dialogue at the start, with the monkeys’ evolution and the end, with Dave’s evolution. Few filmmakers are that brave or talented to pull that off but a lot have had a go on a smaller scale, here are some of the best scenes with no dialogue (or nearly no dialogue).

Kill Bill Vol 2 – Coffin Scene

This scene starts with the Bride buried in a coffin by one of the men she went to kill, and after watching a scene of her being trained by martial arts master Pei May we see her attempt to escape from this seemingly fatal trap.

The Bride calms herself and slowly sets about her escape. She cuts her ropes and does what should be impossible and punches her way out of a coffin. If it had not been for the previous scene in which she was trained to punch through solid wood at a short distance I would have hated this scene but we know this is possible for her, it obeys the logic of its own world. The Bride’s resilience even as her knuckles bleed and dirt starts pouring into the coffin is amazing.

Music – L’Arena by Ennio Morricone.

Only dialogue -“Come on, you bitch” & “Okay Pai Mei, here I come”

Baby Driver – Opening Chase Scene

This is six minutes with arguably no dialogue whatsoever that transfers from a perfect lip-synch sing-along of the music Baby is listening to what for me is the most impressive car chase ever filmed. The best part of the whole scene is not the seemingly impossible stunts but the look on Jon Bernthal’s face when he gets in the car, points forward and the car takes off in reverse. This whole article could be about how Edgar Wright brilliantly uses music in this film with at times it is almost a musical but this one scene sums all of his techniques very well.

Music – Bell Bottoms by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Dialogue – Jon Bernthal repeating “whoa” and you overhear “a red Subaru” on a police radio

Royal Tennenbaums – Attempted Suicide

In Luke Wilson’s best role as Ritchie Tennenbaum, he plays a man trapped in the past, stuck in a look he has had for decades and after receiving some news about the woman he loves he has a breakdown. Before actually attempting suicide Ritchie drastically changes how he looks, cutting off his long hair and beard, removing the sports clothing he wore when he was a professional athlete. The scene shows his discovery by Dudley, his arrival at the hospital and his various family members rushing to his side.

Music – Needle in the Hay by Elliott Smith – the scene becomes even more tragic when you know that Elliott took his own life just a few years after this film was released.

Dialogue – “I’m going to kill myself tomorrow” & “Dudley, where is he?” “Who?”

The Big Lebowski – Dream Sequence

One of my all-time favourite scenes, an extravagant over the top dream sequence of what would possibly be the most ambitious pornography ever made. The Coen Brothers bring a fantastic eye for perfect costumes, precision movement and stunning cinematography. You can see the love of musicals that they expanded on in Hail Caesar!

Of course, then it turns into an absolutely horrific nightmare version of what the gang of nihilists threatened to do to him.

Music: Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) by Kenny Rogers

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night – Playing Record Scene

Quite simply A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is the best Persian-language vampire western you’re ever going to see. The story of the music-loving vampire as she deals with life in a wretched ghost-town is brilliantly told and this scene is particularly memorable. Not only is nothing at all said very little actually happens but the scene is mesmerising. It plays with the old idea of a vampire giving in to their desires and you can’t be sure whether the vampire will rip out the man’s throat or kiss him and there is genuine tension.

Music: Death by White Lies

Note: Even though the man is wearing a Dracula-like cape the woman is the vampire.

No Country For Old Men – Hotel Confrontation

This film has a number of scenes of unbelievable tension and one of them is Josh Brolin slowly waiting for his attacker in his hotel room. The attacker, Chigurh, is only glimpsed for most of the scene and at times is almost an invisible attacker.

Music – None – this is the only scene I selected in which there is no music that helps cover up the silence. We hear breathing, footsteps, gunshots, glass shattering and cars braking but that’s about it.

Note – The Coens Brothers second appearance on this list is a good demonstration of the scope of their work, one film a stoner comedy come noir detective story and an incredibly tense thriller. Is there anything they can’t do?

Dialogue – “Don’t worry I ain’t gonna hurt you, I just need you to drive me” right before the guy dies.

Also Read: Movie Marketing: Films That Thought Outside The Box

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Fight Club

This film became a cult classic almost instantly. A fierce and brutal movie about feeling detached from the modern world, feeling like the consumerist culture offered nothing and wanting something simpler and more violent. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt’s characters start having fights in public and amazingly more people join, seemingly made up almost entirely of people who don’t look like the sort of people who get in fights. Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) turns them into something far more sinister; along the way giving the legendary rules of the club.

In my opinion Fight Club is both Brad Pitt’s and Edward Norton’s best film, both giving amazing performances with Pitt’s Tyler Durden becoming a film icon. It is a film that feels as relevant today as it did then – watch it.

Office Space

This little known Mike Judge film should come with a warning that after watching it you will probably want to quit your job. A hilarious work-based comedy about someone stuck in a job they don’t see the point of and him wondering why he should even care. After a derailed session with a hypnotherapist, the lead character acts on his impulses, turning up late, telling his manager what he really thinks and knocking down a wall of his cubicle. Where does this fearlessness lead? Crime.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

The film that launched a thousand bad British gangster films into production. One of the most damning things I can think to say about this film is that I liked it when I was a teenager and no longer see the appeal. Perhaps I am being too harsh – the film was certainly of its time and made a huge impact. Historically it’s been hard for British gangster films to compete with their American cousins – they were cooler, they had more money (the gangsters and the studios) and everything was on a bigger scale. Lock Stock showed that you could make a successful and popular British gangster film that still felt British.

10 Things I Hate About You

Quite simply 10 Things… is one of the best teen movies ever made. Using Shakespeare’s Taming of a Shrew as a blueprint it told a story of teenage life and love wonderfully. The central four actors are all perfect in their roles and at least two have gone on to become major film stars. The film reolves around the father setting a rule that for the younger sister to date, the older sister must be dating as well, leading to man 1 who wants to date younger sister to recruit man 2 to date older sister – got it? For all of the deviousness going on with the plot, there is a niceness to the film. The two male leads aren’t awful selfish misogynists, the female leads are intelligent women while being completely different characters.

Election

Alexander Payne’s whipsmart Election is a high-school film like no other. Centred around the election for class president, an almost meaningless office, teacher Matthew Broderick conspires to stop seemingly unstoppable, manipulative and overachiever Reese Witherspoon’s Tracey Flick winning the election. Witherspoon is sensational as Flick, sometimes almost seeming like a sociopath but never quite reaching it. Broderick is at his best as the teacher’s life falls apart – only partly connected to his class president plan.

The Mummy

The Mummy, likes Jaws, is a film whose reputation has suffered because of the sequels. I forgot that Jaws is a masterclass of tension and acting and I forgot that The Mummy is a hugely enjoyable action adventure romp that rarely got made even back in the nineties. Starring quintessential 90s leading man Brendan Fraser and too-good-an-actor-for-this-film Rachel Weisz the filmmakers were clearly going for a new Indiana Jones style film and while not reaching those heights it is a lot of fun.

Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace

I had never been more excited for a film release in all my life. A new Star Wars film seemed like an impossible event. I remember my dad shouting for me to come downstairs because a tv show was going to play the trailer (which I watched over and over again online, or as much as you could with pre-broadband internet). I managed to convince myself I liked it, focusing on the good bits like Darth Maul and the excellent John Williams score. As time passed though I realised it wasn’t a very good film. After the ferocious maelstrom of criticism that accompanied The Last Jedi I am actively trying to tone down negative feedback – The Phantom Menace was disappointing. It’s albatross hung heavily around the neck of The Force Awakens which against all expectations – including my own – was great.

The Sixth Sense

This is surely one of the cultural touchstones of the year – a film that seemingly everyone saw. This, like another film on this list, has a “twist” and is probably the default example of a “twist film”. A great horror/ghost story of a boy who sees dead people and the psychiatrist trying to help him, who naturally enough starts from the position that ghosts aren’t real, and that’s how he’ll help him. The slow realisation that the child might actually be right is played very well. Of course, this is the film that launched M. Night Shyamalan’s career and that has been, at best, a mixed bag. If somehow you still haven’t seen this film go and find it.

Toy Story 2

The Toy Story trilogy (soon to be quadrilogy) is held up by some as the best trilogy in cinema history and quite frankly it’s hard to argue. Each film is brilliant yet different from the others. Following the practically perfect Toy Story was always going to be a challenge but the filmmakers succeeded. Toy collector Al, surely one of the greatest villains in cinema history, steals the incredibly valuable Woody causing the rest of the Toy Story gang to band together to get him back. Featuring incredibly fun new characters like Stinky Pete, Tour Guide Barbie and Evil Emperor Zurg – Buzz Lightyear’s archnemesis. The film is a triumph.

Being John Malkovich

When I first saw this film I didn’t know what to make of it. I liked it but couldn’t quite explain why. It’s one of those films where if someone asked you to explain why it’s good it was a struggle. It still is. A bizarre story of love, jealousy and a portal into the head of John Malkovich, and not a character played by Malkovich, the actor John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both known for making weird films this is probably their weirdest.

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Road Trips, Cruise & Train Journeys

The nuclear weapon devastated world of Mad Max is the perfect getaway for a car aficionado who’s looking for some adventure. You can take a road trip down the legendary Fury Road and marvel at the eccentrically dressed gearheads who are all too keen to demonstrate how their amazing vehicles work.

Those looking for some live entertainment should check out The Thunderdome in Bartertown where semi-willing participants take part in a very extreme form of theatre – you’ll not find more committed performers anywhere in the world. Due to sparse retail opportunities make sure to bring plentiful water, petrol and ammunition.

Many people love cruises although being trapped on a floating prison for weeks, or even months on end with the same people already sounds like the end of the world to me. But if that sounds appealing Waterworld may be the apocalypse for you. You can sail and swim to your heart’s content, however, despite spending a huge amount on this vacation spot many visitors found it a massive letdown.

We’ve all heard how wonderful a trip on the Orient Express is – if a little murdery – so recreate the golden age of train travel on board the best train the post-apocalypse has to offer: Snowpiercer. Passengers can enjoy fresh sushi or even the more interesting culinary delights in the lower-class section before moving forward to a world-class nightclub in a train! Snowpiercer is constantly crisscrossing the globe so you can see the Empire State Building buried by snow and…the Taj Mahal buried by snow. Warning – I know we’ve all done it but don’t try and sneak into the first-class carriage if you don’t have the right ticket as they are really strict about that. If you get caught paying a fine will be the least of your worries.

City Breaks

For those who want to rest and be pampered at the same time why not enjoy a stay in The Matrix? You can enjoy long baths and uninterrupted sleep while at the same time luxuriating in the pinnacle of human civilization – the late 1990s, enjoying pre-broadband internet, mobile phones you had to flip open and the dawn of reality television.

Be on the lookout for overly-officious government agents and very eager people pushing red and blue pills. And for those environmentalists amongst you don’t worry – this world uses extremely renewable energy.
Perhaps it’s my age showing but I can’t think of a better historical period to be trapped in for my entire life. This is my idea of the perfect holiday and have always thought our robot overlords set up a very nice post-apocalypse for us.

Family Getaways

For some people family comes first and if you’re looking to bond why not go to The Road? Yes, on first glance it’s possibly the bleakest and most horrible of all post-apocalyptic worlds but you can forge an everlasting father-son relationship. You’ll go on a very, very slow roadtrip taking in scenic views of dead forests, barren fields and gruesome remains. Personally I can’t abide a world that promises an acting masterclass from Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron and then only gives us a few minutes of the latter.

Those with larger families why not take a country house in It Comes At Night – make boarding up windows, collecting water and dealing with the infected a fun family activity! And nothing stokes family unity like the fear of any and all outsiders, whether they simply want to steal your food or are infected with the mysterious but deadly plague that has wiped out billions it’s best to avoid them.

If you’re sick of your hustle and noise of the city – or just your family – A Quiet Place is a wonderful respite. Your children really will learn that silence is golden and you can enjoy countless hours of reading, lying very still and trying not to scream in pain.

The Zombie Experience

Zombies might seem the perfect way to ruin a holiday – after all who wants flesh-eating nearly unstoppable monsters attacking them? Well if you decide to hole up somewhere comfortable it’s not so bad. Do you want an old-fashioned lock-in at a real London pub? Then stop by the Winchester and once the zombie hordes arrive there will be no getting you out.

How about going to Zombieland and enjoying the last functioning theme park in the world Pacific Playland? It has exciting rides, sort-of friendly clowns and security is provided by a cowboy-hat wearing Woody Harrelson? Zombieland is also well known for it’s celebrity guests and they are all from the tippy-top of the Hollywood tree.

Some people pick their holiday destinations based on where they can do some great shopping and Dawn of the Dead offers you two fantastic malls in Monroeville. Whether you prefer the more sedate 1970s experience or fast-paced shopping trip from the mid 2000s they’ve got you covered. You’ll have plenty of time to explore shops as stays can last for months. The mall even comes with it’s own shuttle buses which a lucky few actually get to work on!

So there you have it: adventure, relaxation, luxury, whatever you want for a holiday experience the post-apocalyptic world can provide it!

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Big Picture Film Club is back! Our next event, Love & The Abstract, is an exploration of relationships, love, and the difficulties they have to overcome. We have curated a list of 5 short films, from an array of talented filmmakers, each tackling a unique perspective on love and relationships. Check out our film list below:

Signs Of Silence (Director, R.M. Moses) – Born into a world of silence, Eli finds himself not able to communicate well with people. Mainly because not everyone understands sign language. This has impacted his self-esteem and confidence. This is Eli’s story of how difficult life can be when you aren’t being heard.

Anchor (Director, Dan Horrigan) – Devotion is an exploration of grief, and love gone dark. It’s a story about the human shadow, how it can overwhelm us if we don’t learn to live with it.

Love Me Tinder (Director, Sami Abusamra) – Love Me Tinder is a dark comedy about an encounter between two lonely strangers. A man spends an awkward evening with an older woman after they match on a dating app. Meeting each other is easy, but as their night progresses connecting proves to be much more difficult.

Populace (Director, Dan Horrigan) – Set in 2097 it follows a day in the life of John, a clone who works for the Tyrannical, Orwellian “Populace” corporation. His world is turned upside down when he is forced to choose between the woman he loves and the reason he was created.

Tickets: http://loveandtheabstract.eventbrite.co.uk

Click here for the Facebook Event Link.

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